The present invention relates to a rear projection screen improved to increase the field of vision not only horizontally but vertically as well.
The rear projection screen used for a video projection screen is required to have a high brightness and a wide field of vision for making the image more visible and distinct from a wider angle of vision. To this end, hitherto various measures have been taken, such as, for example, the provision of lenticulation to the surface of the screen plate. The lenticulation of the screen plate, however, can widen the angular field of vision only up to 30.degree. or so around the optical axis. Therefore, there has been a continuous demand to further increase the field of vision.
From this point of view, the applicants have already proposed a rear projection screen having a lenticulated screen plate in which a part of the light coming from a light source and impinging upon the screen is emitted to the viewing side through total-reflection by the total-reflection surfaces on the vertical lenticule units formed in the lenticulated screen plate. Such a rear projection screen is shown, for example, in the specifications of the U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 364,193 and 467,509, as well as in the specifications of EP application Nos. 0063317 and 0087753. Using this lenticulated screen plate, it is possible to remarkably widen the visible field in the horizontal direction. Unfortunately, however, these lenticulated screen plates cannot widen the field of vision in the vertical direction. To widen the field of vision also vertically, it has been necessary to form a layer of diffusion agent or to mix a diffusion agent in the material of the screen. Although the use of the diffusion agent is effective to some extent, the light transmittance is lowered to decrease the contrast undesirably, if the concentration of the agent is excessively large. To the contrary, when the concentration of the diffusion agent is lowered, the screen becomes transparent to make the light source visible through the screen plate. It is, therefore, not a better policy to widen the angular field of vision in the vertical direction solely by the diffusion agent.